It’s ‘go-time’ for Nico Iamleava and Tennessee

The return of football season every fall is cause for celebration. Especially in the South, and certainly among Tennessee fans. The excitement is there every year, no matter what the team’s prospects might be. But this year, because of Nico Iamaleava, that excitement has been ramped up a notch.

There’s no getting around it.

Fans haven’t awaited the arrival of a player with this level of anticipation since Peyton Manning ascended to the quarterback position in Knoxville.

That’s not hyperbole.

In fact, given the nature of social media, the proliferation of NIL, the current scale of college football and the fact that Tennessee hasn’t been a (consistent) national powerhouse in decades, Iamaleava’s assumption of the quarterback job at Tennessee might even be MORE highly anticipated than Manning’s sophomore season (dodging lightning bolt).

That’s not a shot at the G.O.A.T., or to suggest that Iamaleava might have a better career than the best player to ever wear the Orange. Not at all.

The hype—and most certainly the hope—around Iamaleava has a lot to do with the fact that outside of that magical 11-2 season in 2022, Tennessee football hasn’t had a ton to celebrate this century.

There’s definitely a sense that that’s about to change. The optimism isn’t just about Iamaleava. Tennessee has stepped it up in recruiting in the past couple of classes. Josh Heupel and his staff have proven that they can win in this conference.

But without a potential superstar at quarterback, the excitement from fans wouldn’t be running at the fever pitch it currently is.

Plenty of those fans would have loved to have seen Iamaleava last season. But the plan was always for him to wait a year.

Now it’s his time, and he’s ready to seize it.

“It wasn’t difficult at all. I mean, when you’ve got a guy like Joe (Milton) in front of you, I feel like he’s a great guy to learn from, just soak up as much as you can soak up and learn,” Iamaleava said of waiting his turn last season.

“That was always my vision, come in early, learn from a guy like Joe, learn from Hendon when he was still here during that bowl prep. I think it was great for me and it’s really what I envisioned.

“Sit the first year, soak up as much i as I can soak up and, you know, year two was go time for me.”’

‘Go-time’ is a nice description for how fans feel about the Tennessee program, and it’s not just about 2024. Vol fans will get to enjoy Iamaleava for at least two seasons, and his potential successor, Brentwood Academy’s George McIntyre, is already in the pipeline.

The season has yet to begin, but under Heupel, it feels like Tennessee has gotten its mojo back. The Vols have an identity and a huge part of that identity is scoring points in bunches and piling up yards.

Fans got a glimpse of what Heupel’s offense can look like with high level quarterback play with Hooker at the controls in 2022. The Tennessee offense set records and Hooker had one of the most prolific seasons for a quarterback in program history.

Understandably, everyone is anxious to see what a talent like Iamaleava can do when he gets his hands on the controls of Heupel’s Lamborghini-level attack.

Iamaleava himself is anxious to get behind the wheel of the offense and take it out for a proverbial spin.

“Year two is something, you know, I’ve since coming here year two is gonna be my year. It’s go time for me and I’m ready,” Iamaleava said.

Embracing ‘go-time’ for Iamleava has meant taking ownership of the offense. Getting in the film room and meeting with coaches so that he understands not just what Tennessee is doing in a giving situation, but also ‘why’ they’re doing it.

No one is expecting Iamaleava to be a finished product when he trots out for the opener against Chattanooga. Growing pains will happen. But everyone inside the program has praised the way he’s approached things since the moment Tennessee regrouped after the Citrus Bowl victory.

Iamaleava started that game against Iowa and provided everyone with a glimpse of what might be in store down the road. He wasn’t perfect in his first start, understandably, but he completed 12-of-19 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions while adding three rushing TDs in a 35-0 Tennessee victory.

Coming off that bowl win he attacked the off season from both the physical side and the mental side, and as a result Iamaleava is heading into his first full year as the starter with confidence.

“Coach (Heupel) was saying that I Had the physical part down, but this year, during the off season, it was about me learning the intricacies of the offense and why we do certain things and call certain plays at certain times,” Iamaleava said of his offseason growth.

“I know, why we do certain things, why we motion, why our tempo is important, things like that. So I think that’s definitely somewhere I grew in this past off season.”

No one who has followed Iamaleava’s career to this point is surprised about the hype surrounding his elevation to Tennessee’s starting quarterback. The talent has been obvious for years for anyone who can access YouTube.

What’s not obvious from a hudl clip is the remarkable mental make-up that Iamaleava possesses.

He’s mature beyond his years and you can forget about encountering any out-sized ego or ‘diva’-type qualities in him that you might associate with a young man who has received so much attention at such an early age.

He’s never acted remotely entitled, despite the enormous amount of hype that swirled around his recruitment and his arrival in Knoxville.

He never rocked the boat as a freshman when the upperclassmen in front of him was struggling. He’s been a consummate teammate.

That kind of thing may not enhance his EA Sports player rating, but it’s making his segue into the most important role on a football team a smooth one.

“I think it’s been a big part of how the players have responded to him,” Heupel said of Iamaleava’s humility and work ethic. “(He’s) A guy that came in here wanted to earn it, went to work every single day, has developed great relationships with guys (not only) on his side of the ball, but on the other side of the ball as well.

“He’ll continue to grow as a leader. But how he works, how he competes coming out and earning it, his consistency in who he is every day inside the building has been a huge part of the trust, love, and belief that our players have in him.” 

Playing quarterback at a place like Tennessee involves far more than simply practicing during the week and playing four quarters on Saturday. You’re the face of a huge entity with millions of supporters and those people are invested in your success.

As the face of a program with a brand like this one, you represent a massive entity. Not all teenagers grasp that and all the responsibility that comes with it.

Iamaleava gets it. He gets the responsibilities on the field and he gets the responsibilities off the field.

“When I go out to eat and fans walk up, I always stop and take a picture, but I think that’s what just comes with playing quarterback at the University of Tennessee,” Iamaleava said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a burden. I’ve come from humble beginnings. I know what it’s like to, you know, have somebody you look up to and want to get a picture with him. So it’s not, it is never a burden.”

Iamaleava is about to shoulder a heavy burden.

He’s going to be carrying the hopes and dreams of a fanbase that is starving to return to greatness. A majority of fans are of the opinion that Iamaleava is just the guy to lead the Vols there.

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